Method and apparatus for selecting profile of terminal in mobile network

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus of selecting profiles is provided that provides communication services of a terminal equipped with embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) (or embedded Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM)) and Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC). The method of selecting a profile in a terminal including a plurality of subscriber identity module (SIMs) that differ from each other in type, includes selecting, when sensing a profile changing event, one of the plurality of SIMs according to a preset rule, selecting one of a plurality of profiles stored in the plurality of SIMs, and applying the selected profile to the terminal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY

The present application is related to and claims the benefit under 35U.S.C. §119(a) of a Korean patent application filed on Jun. 30, 2014 inthe Korean Intellectual Property Office and assigned Serial No.10-2014-0081234, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporatedby reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for selecting aprofile of a terminal. More particularly, the present invention relatesto a method and apparatus of selecting profiles that providescommunication services of a terminal equipped with embedded UniversalIntegrated Circuit Card (eUICC) (or embedded Subscriber Identity Module(eSIM)) and Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC).

BACKGROUND

In order for a terminal to connect to a mobile communication network,mutual authentication is required between the terminal and the mobilecommunication network. Through mutual authentication, the mobilecommunication service provider identifies whether terminals arelegitimate subscribers and provides the legitimate terminals withservices, and the terminal also connects to the mobile communicationnetwork with security and makes voice chat and data communication. Inmutual authentication, a subscriber identifier and an encryption key areused. Terminals store subscriber identifiers and encryption keys in theUniversal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) physically separated from them.When mutual authentication is made between an authentication server of amobile communication network and a UICC of a terminal, the terminalrelays authentication messages between the server and the UICC. A UICCis used to identify a subscriber and contains information aboutcommunication service providing companies in the process of manufacture.When users have a plan to change an existing mobile communicationnetwork of one communication service providing company through whichthey have received communication services to a mobile communicationnetwork of another communication service providing company while keepingtheir same terminals, they need to use an additional UICC compatible tothe other communication service providing company supporting the newmobile communication network.

SUMMARY

In order for terminals to employ eUICC and UICC together, the terminalsneed a system for efficiently select one of a plurality of profilesstored in the eUICC and UICC.

To address the above-discussed deficiencies, it is a primary object toprovide a method and apparatus that efficiently selects one of theprofiles stored in eUICC and UICC and allows a terminal with both eUICCand UICC to connect to a network.

in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the presentinvention provides a method of selecting a profile in a terminalincluding a plurality of subscriber identity module (SIMs) that differfrom each other in type, including: selecting, when sensing a profilechanging event, one of the plurality of SIMs according to a preset rule;selecting one of a plurality of profiles stored in the plurality ofSIMs; and applying the selected profile to the terminal.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, thepresent invention provides an apparatus for selecting a profileincluding: a profile storing unit including a plurality of subscriberidentity module (SIMs) that differ from each other in type; and acontroller for: selecting, when sensing a profile changing event, one ofthe plurality of SIMs according to a preset rule; selecting one of aplurality of profiles stored in the plurality of SIMs; and performing acontrolling to apply the selected profile to the terminal.

Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION below, it may beadvantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases usedthroughout this patent document: the terms “include” and “comprise,” aswell as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term“or,” is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases “associated with” and“associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean toinclude, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be containedwithin, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with,cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to orwith, have, have a property of, or the like; and the term “controller”means any device, system or part thereof that controls at least oneoperation, such a device may be implemented in hardware, firmware orsoftware, or some combination of at least two of the same. It should benoted that the functionality associated with any particular controllermay be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely.Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout thispatent document, those of ordinary skill in the art should understandthat in many, if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior, aswell as future uses of such defined words and phrases.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and itsadvantages, reference is now made to the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like referencenumerals represent like parts:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example method of makingcommunication using a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) accordingto this disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example method of makingcommunication using an embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card(eUICC) according to this disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of an example terminal according tothis disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of selecting aprofile of a terminal according to this disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example method of collecting profilelists by a terminal according to this disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example method of collecting profilelists by a terminal according to this disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example method of collecting profilelists by a terminal according to this disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example non-aggregated profile UIaccording to this disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example non-aggregated profile UIaccording to this disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example aggregated profile UIaccording to this disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example method for a controller todirectly select a profile and to apply the selected profile to eUICC orUICC according to this disclosure; and

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example method for a controller todirectly apply a profile using a selection server according to thisdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 through 12, discussed below, and the various embodiments used todescribe the principles of the present disclosure in this patentdocument are by way of illustration only and should not be construed inany way to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the artwill understand that the principles of the present disclosure may heimplemented in any suitably arranged electronic device and communicationsystem.

The present disclosure relates to a method that allows a terminalequipped with both eUICC and UICC to select a profile in order to make acommunication with a network. More specifically, the present disclosureprovides a method that allows a terminal with both embedded Universalintegrated Circuit Card (eUICC) and Universal Integrated Circuit Card(UICC) to efficiently select, when connecting to a mobile communicationnetwork by using operational profiles, a profile stored in the eUICC ora profile stored in the UICC and to connect to the network. The presentdisclosure describes terminals with eUICC and UICC. The presentdisclosure also applies to all types of devices and services supportingeUICC and UICC as well as electronic devices such as smartphones,portable terminals, mobile terminals, Personal Digital Assistants(PDAs), Portable Multimedia Players (PMPs), laptops, Wibro terminals,smart TVs, smart refrigerators, and the like.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited tothe devices listed herein. The present disclosure can also be applied toterminals with only a eUICC. Hereinafter, embodiments of the presentdisclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanyingdrawings. The same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings torefer to the same or similar parts. Detailed descriptions of well-knownfunctions and structures incorporated herein may be omitted to avoidobscuring the subject matter of the invention.

In order for a terminal to connect to a mobile communication network,mutual authentication is required between the terminal and the mobilecommunication network. Through mutual authentication, the mobilecommunication service provider identifies whether terminals arelegitimate subscribers and provides the legitimate terminals withservices, and the terminal also connects to the mobile communicationnetwork with security and makes voice chat and data communication. Inmutual authentication, a subscriber identifier and an encryption key areused. Terminals store subscriber identifiers and encryption keys in theUniversal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) physically separated from them.When mutual authentication is made between an authentication server of amobile communication network and a UICC of a terminal, the terminalrelays authentication messages between the server and the UICC. A UICCis used to identify a subscriber and contains information aboutcommunication service providing companies in the process of manufacture.When users have a plan to change an existing mobile communicationnetwork of one communication service providing company through whichthey have received communication services to a mobile communicationnetwork of another communication service providing company while keepingtheir same terminals, they need to use an additional UICC compatible tothe other communication service providing company supporting the newmobile communication network.

An embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) or embeddedSubscriber Identity Module (eSIM) may be a UICC installed to mobilecommunication terminals in the process of manufacturing the terminals.According to various embodiments of the present invention, the eUICC canbe detachable and/or replaceable. A eUICC may be referred to as a UICCto which subscriber identifiers and encryption keys downloaded fromremote servers according to communication companies can be installed.When users have a plan to subscribe a new communication serviceproviding company, their terminals download the subscriber identifiersand encryption keys of the company from the remote server to the eUICCwithout the installation of a new UICC. In that case, a variety ofinformation for services provided by a corresponding mobilecommunication service providing company, including a subscriberidentifier and encryption key, is called a profile. That is, when aprofile is remotely installed to eUICC, a subscriber identifier andencryption key are also installed to the eUICC along with informationcontained in the profile.

If a subscriber identifier and encryption key of a terminal are revealedduring the remote installation of a profile, it causes a threat to thesecurity of data communication and voice chat of the terminal. Toprevent this, the remote transmission of profiles requires strictencryption. To this end, a remote server and eUICC need to have sharedprofile management encryption keys set to the respective eUICC beforeperforming transmission, and thus encryption is performed bycorresponding encryption keys in remote transmission session.

In order to remotely install a subscriber identifier and encryption keyto a eUICC, a mobile communication terminal with a eUICC needs to havebeen in a communication provisioning state. To this end, a subscriberidentifier and encryption key (or a provisioning profile), only used forremote installation of a temporary profile to enable a terminal to be ina communication provisioning state, have previously been installed tothe eUICC. In that case, the subscriber identifier and encryption key,available as a provisioning profile installed in the eUICC, need to bestored in a mobile communication service providing company so that thecommunication company considers the terminal a legitimate subscriber.Therefore, the cost of communication services for installation of aprovisioning profile to eUICC is contained in the cost of a terminal.However, the communication service is restricted to a process forinstalling a profile, and thus the communication service cost isrelatively lower than the cost for general communication services.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example method of makingcommunication by using a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC)according to this disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1, a UICC 101 isinserted into a terminal 103. The terminal 103 connects to MobileNetwork Operator (MNO) 105 by using information about connectable MNOs,stored in the UICC. When the UICC is installed to the terminal, theterminal may be connected to a network managed by the MNO.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example method of makingcommunication using an embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card(eUICC) according to this disclosure. Referring to FIG. 2, aprovisioning profile is stored in a eUICC 201. The eUICC 201 connects toa provisioning network 203 by using the provisioning profile. Theprovisioning profile contains information used to connect to a MobileNetwork Operator (MNO), such as an international mobile subscriberidentity (IMSI) and a Ki. A provisioning profile may also be called abootstrap profile. In general, a provisioning profile or bootstrapprofile is installed to eUICC in the process of manufacture of the eUICCand is used to provide a network access environment allowing for remotedownload of other profiles.

Meanwhile, there are profiles used to access general networks withoutany use restriction compared with the provisioning profile, and theseprofiles are called operational profiles. As shown in FIG. 2, the eUICC201 downloads operational files from MNO 1, indicated by referencenumber 205, over the provisioning network 203. The terminal connects tothe MNO 1 by using the downloaded operational profiles.

As described above, the system of using eUICC makes service providersreduce the cost of purchasing USIM cards and the distribution cost,compared with the method of existing UICCs. Therefore, the system ofusing eUICC leads to new business models in the fields of connected car,M2M, tablet, and the like.

In order to introduce eUICC, infrastructures remotely to install serversneed to be established. MNOs need to have arranged their infrastructuresin order to process their information alteration, etc. withoutrestriction. Therefore, it will take a relatively long time until eUICChas been introduced to most MNOs, and until then, terminals employingeUICC and UICC together will be used.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example terminalaccording to this disclosure. Referring to FIG. 3, the terminal 300includes at least one of the following: eUICC 301 and UICC 303. TheeUICC 301 stores policy and at least one profile. The UICC 303 stores asingle profile. In the following description, the eUICC 301 may becalled a storage unit, a profile storing unit, a terminal embeddedprofile storing unit, and the like. Similarly, the UICC 303 may becalled a storage unit, a profile storing unit, an external or detachableprofile storing unit, and the like.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller 305performs control operations to select one of a plurality of profilesstored in the eUICC 301 and UICC 303 in order to connect a mobilecommunication network. The controller 305 selects one of the eUICC 301and UICC 303 to be used in connecting to a mobile communication networkor selects one of a plurality of profiles stored in the UICC 301 to beused in connecting to a mobile communication network. The controller 305also controls other components in the terminal 300 to perform operationsaccording to the present disclosure, which is explained herein.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller 305selects profiles based on a user's inputs. To this end, the terminal 300includes a user interface (UI) 307. The UI 307 includes an input unitfor receiving a user's inputs. The input unit receives a user's operatedsignals. The input unit is implemented with a key pad, a dome switch, atouch pad (of resistive/capacitive type), a jog wheel, a jog switch, orthe like. The UI 307 includes a display for displaying informationrequired to select profiles. The display is implemented with a LiquidCrystal Display (LCD), a Thin Film Transistor-liquid crystal display(TFT LCD), Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs), a flexible display, athree-dimensional (3D) display, or the like. In various embodiments, theinput unit and the display are configured in a layered structure, suchas a touch screen with touch sensors or proximity sensors.

The terminal 300 according to the present disclosure includes acommunication unit 309 for performing data communication with externalsystems. The communication unit 309 includes a transmitter farup-converting the frequency of signals to be transmitted and amplifyingthe signals and a receiver for low-noise amplifying received RF signalsand down-converting the frequency of the received RF signals.

The terminal 300 communicates with an external selection server 311through the communication unit 309. The selection server 311 cooperateswith a profile managing server 313. The profile managing server 313 canalso be called a Profile Manager or a Subscription Manager-SubscriptionProfile (SM-SP). The selection server 311 communicates with thecontroller 305 of the terminal 300 and supports the selection of aprofile. The profile managing server 313 remotely installs profiles inthe terminal 300.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of selecting aprofile of a terminal according to this disclosure. The terminalincludes eUICC and UICC as subscriber identity module (SIM). Referringto FIG. 4, when the terminal is turned on, it performs a bootingprocedure (401). The terminal checks and selects a profile that it hasused (called a previously used profile) (403). The terminal selects aprofile that it has used to connect to a mobile communication network.The profile that the terminal has used can be an operational profile.

The terminal connects to a network by using the selected profile that ithas used (405). When the terminal senses an event for selecting aprofile (407), it selects a subscriber identity module to be used (409).The profile selecting event is a trigger event for starting theselection of a profile. The profile selecting event occurs in a manualmode according to a user's command or in an automatic mode as a presetcondition is satisfied. A mode for sensing the profile selecting event,including a manual mode or an automatic mode, is automatically setaccording to a user's input or a preset condition. When the terminalsenses a user's input for setting a profile selecting event sensingmode, it sets a current mode to a profile selecting event sensing mode.The terminal displays UI related to the settings of a profile selectingevent sensing mode and receives a user's inputs through the UI.

When the profile selecting event sensing mode is set to a manual mode, aprofile selecting event occurs according to a user's input forrequesting for changing a profile. That is, when the profile selectingevent sensing mode is set to a manual mode, the terminal does notautomatically change a profile although the wireless link quality or thenetwork state varies. When the terminal senses a user's input forchanging a profile, it ascertains that a profile selecting event hasbeen sensed. The terminal displays UI for selecting profiles andreceives a user's input for changing a profile through the UI. The UIfor changing profile is configured with a menu for selecting profiles onthe terminal setting screen. In an embodiment, the UI for changingprofiles is configured with at least one profile selectable. In thatcase, the UI for changing profiles corresponds to a profile list UIwhich will be described later.

When the profile selecting event sensing mode is set to an automaticmode, a profile selecting event occurs when satisfying at least one ofthe following conditions. Condition 1: a profile selecting event occurswhen Mobile Network Operator (MNO) is changed according to the movementof terminal or a user's selection. The change in MNO is sensed accordingto a change in Public Land Mobile Network Identity (PLMN ID), and thelike. Therefore, a profile selecting event occurs when the PLMN ID of aterminal is changed.

Condition 2: a profile selecting event occurs according to a change innetwork state (a change in channel state). When the signal quality of awireless section between a terminal and a base station is changed, theterminal ascertains that a profile selecting event has occurred. Forexample, when the signal strength of network is out of a preset range oris equal to or less than a preset threshold or when noise strengthand/or noise ratio is out of a preset range or is equal to or greaterthan a preset threshold, the terminal ascertains that a profileselecting event has occurred. The preset range and the preset thresholdis set to arbitrary values respectively. In the embodiment, the signalquality of a wireless section is measured based on RSRP, RSSI, etc. Theterminal periodically measures RSRP or RSSI, and senses a profileselecting event, based on the measured RSRP or RSSI.

In various embodiments of the invention, when the terminal senses astate where the network has been changed for a preset period of time ormore than a preset number of times, it ascertains that a profileselecting event has occurred.

Condition 3: a profile selecting event occurs as a preset period of timehas elapsed. For example, when the terminal ascertains that a presetperiod of time has elapsed from a time point that: the terminal isbooted, the terminal is initially opened to communication, the terminalis initially connected to a network, the terminal connects to a networkby using a provisioning profile, or the like, it ascertains that aprofile selecting event has occurred. When following the embodimentsdescribed above, MNO guides terminal users to start with the selectionof a particular profile after a preset period of time has elapsedaccording to the policy.

Condition 4: a profile changing event occurs according to an instructionfor changing a profile from a network according to a change in networkstate. When a network (which may also be called a base station, eNB, orthe like) cannot make communication due to the network overload or thebreakdown of network equipment, it makes a command (instruction,request) for the terminal to change a profile. When the terminalreceives a command for changing a profile from the network, itascertains that a profile changing event has occurred. The networktransmits a profile changing command according to a change in networkstate to the terminal through a signaling. When the terminal has changeda profile by sensing the profile changing event, it transmits theprofile change response to the network. The profile changing commandaccording to a change in network state or the profile change response istransmitted through a message defined as upper signaling or a messagedefined as other methods.

Condition 5: a profile changing event occurs according to a change inMNO's When the terminal receives a command for changing a profileaccording to a change in MNO's policy from a network, it ascertains thata profile changing event has occurred. When the terminal has changed aprofile by sensing the profile changing event, it transmits the profilechange response to the network. The profile changing command accordingto a change in MNO's policy or the profile change response istransmitted through a message defined as upper signaling or a messagedefined as other methods.

Referring back to FIG. 4, when the terminal senses a profile changingevent, it selects a subscriber identity module (SIM) (409). The terminalselects a subscriber identity module (SIM) by applying a MNO's policy orpolicy rule. That is, the terminal select one of the eUICC and UICC as aSIM according to a preset policy.

The terminal selects one of the eUICC and UICC as a SIM according to atleast one of the following conditions. That is, a MNO's policy isestablished so that a terminal can select a SIM according to at leastone of the following conditions.

Condition 1: a terminal selects a SIM according to a user's input. Whena terminal senses a user's input for selecting a SIM, it selects the SIMcorresponding to the user's input. The terminal displays UI forselecting a SIM and receives a user's input for selecting a SIM throughthe UI. The UI for setting profiles is configured to include menus forselecting one of the eUICC and UICC to be used as a SIM. Condition 2: aterminal assigns a high priority to eUICC and selects the eUICC as aSIM. When a terminal ascertains that eUICC exists and a profileconnectable is included in the eUICC, it selects the eUICC with highpriority. Condition 3: a terminal assigns a high priority to UICC andselects the UICC as a SIM. When a terminal ascertains that UICC existsand a profile connectable is included in the UICC, it selects the UICCwith high priority.

Condition 4: a terminal selects a SIM according to whether a presetperiod of time has elapsed. A terminal selects eUICC or UICC as a SIMaccording to whether a preset period of time has elapsed. For example,the terminal is set in such a way that it selects UICC with highpriority until a preset period of time has elapsed from a time pointthat: the terminal is initially opened to communication, the terminal isinitially connected to a network, the terminal connects to a network byusing a provisioning profile, etc. and then selects eUICC. The terminalis also set in such a way that it selects eUICC with high priority untila preset period of time has elapsed from a time point that: the terminalis initially opened to communication, the terminal is initiallyconnected to a network, the terminal connects to a network by using aprovisioning profile, or the like, and then selects UICC.

Condition 5: a terminal selects a SIM based on the location where theterminal is located. For example, a terminal selects a SIM based on thePLMN ID. When the current location of the terminal, i.e., the locationcorresponding to the PLMN ID of the terminal, is within a PLMN areacorresponding to a profile stored in the eUICC, the terminal selectseUICC as a SIM, with high priority. However, when the current locationthe terminal is not within a PLMN area corresponding to a profile storedin the eUICC, the terminal selects UICC as a SIM, with high priority.Condition 6: a terminal selects a SIM according to whether to connect toa network by using stored profiles. When a terminal cannot connect to anetwork by using profiles stored in eUICC, it selects UICC as a SIM.When a terminal cannot connect to a network by using profiles stored inUICC, it selects eUICC as a SIM. Condition 7: with assigning the highestpriority to UICC for a case that a terminal does not obtain aprovisioning profile from eUICC, the terminal selects, when notobtaining a provisioning profile from eUICC, the UICC as a SIM.

Referring back to FIG. 4, the terminal collects profile lists (411). Theterminal obtains profile lists stored in the eUICC or UICC determinedaccording to the policy. In various embodiments, the terminal directlyobtains a profile list stored in UICC from the UICC. In variousembodiments, the terminal obtains a profile list stored in eUICC fromthe eUICC or obtains a profile list stored in eUICC from an externalserver outside the terminal. FIG. 5 is a diagram that describes a methodof collecting profile lists by a terminal according to a firstembodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows a diagram thatdescribes a method for a terminal to directly collect profileinformation stored in UICC from the UICC. Referring to FIG. 5, thecontroller transfers message for requesting profile information to UICCand receives the profile information from the UICC. The profileinformation includes at least one of the following: an ID of a profilestored in the UICC, information about MNO contained in a profile, andMSISDN contained in a profile. A profile ID is an identifier foridentifying a profile, e.g., ICCID.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an method of collecting profile listsby a terminal according to this disclosure. FIG. 6 shows a diagram thatdescribes a method for a terminal to directly collect profile listsstored in eUICC from the eUICC. Referring to FIG. 6, the controllerobtains profile lists through direct information exchange with theeUICC. The controller transfers a message for requesting a profile listto the eUICC and receives a profile list containing information about atleast one profile from the eUICC. During this process, the controllerand eUICC uses a first authorization credential. That is, only when theeUICC receives a request with a proper authorization credential from thecontroller, it transfers a profile list to the controller. The firstauthorization credential is configured with one of the following: anauthentication, a corresponding private key, a symmetric key, ID andpassword. The profile list includes at least one of the following:profile IDs of respective profiles stored in the eUICC, informationabout MNOs contained in respective profiles, and MSISDN contained inrespective profiles. A profile ID is an identifier for identifying aprofile, e.g., ICCID.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example method of collecting profilelists by a terminal according to a third embodiment of the presentinvention. FIG. 7 shows a diagram that describes a method for a terminalto collect profile lists by exchanging information with an externalserver. Referring to FIG. 7, the controller transfers a message forrequesting a profile list containing eUICC ID to an external server(e.g., selection server) outside the terminal. After receiving themessage of requesting a profile list, the server obtains a profile listcorresponding to the eUICC ID from a profile managing server andtransmits the obtained profile list to the controller. During thisprocess, the controller and the server uses a second authorizationcredential. That is, when the server receives the profile listrequesting message from the controller, it authenticates the controllerby using the second authorization credential. When the authentication issuccessful, the server transmits a profile list to the controller. Thesecond authorization credential is identical to or different from thefirst authorization credential. The second authorization credential isconfigured with one of the following: an authentication, a correspondingprivate key, a symmetric key, ID and password. The profile list includesat least one of the following: profile IDs of respective profiles storedin the eUICC, information about MNOs contained in respective profiles,and MSISDN contained in respective profiles. A profile ID is anidentifier for identifying a profile, e.g., ICCID.

Referring back to FIG. 4, the terminal selects a profile from thecollected profile list (413). The terminal determines (selects) aprofile to be used, from among the profiles in the selected SIM. Theterminal selects a profile according to a user's input (manual mode) ora preset condition (automatic mode).

In manual mode, the terminal displays a UI related to at least oneprofile on the display and receives a user's input for selecting aprofile through the UI. The terminal selects a profile corresponding tothe user's input. The UI is configured to include at least one of thefollowing: MNO name, MVNO name, and MSISDN, as information related to atleast one profile. The UI related to at least one profile isnon-aggregated profile UI or aggregated profile UI.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of a non-aggregated profile UI according to anembodiment. Referring to FIG. 8, the non-aggregated profile UI displaysone or more profiles stored in eUICC and UICC, classifying the profiles.FIG. 9 is a diagram of a non-aggregated profile UI according to anotherembodiment. The non-aggregated profile UI is not limited to the formsshown in FIGS. 8 and 9. It should be understood that the non-aggregatedprofile UI is formed in various forms in order to classify and displayone or more profiles stored in eUICC and UICC.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of an aggregated profile UI according to anembodiment. Referring to FIG. 10, the aggregated profile UI displays oneor more profiles stored in eUICC and UICC, with integrating theprofiles, or without classifying the profiles. When displaying UI, asshown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the terminal displays the currently selectedprofile by highlighting it with an effect, such as shading, changing infont, coloring, etc. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, when the terminal sensesan input applied to one of the profiles displayed on the UI, it selectsthe profile corresponding to the input. In automatic mode, the terminalselects a profile according to one of the following criteria.

Criterion 1, a terminal selects a profile according to a network state(channel state). When the signal quality of a wireless section between aterminal and a base station is best, the terminal selects a profilecorresponding to the mobile communication network. The signal quality ofa wireless section is measured based on RSRP, RSSI, etc. That is, theterminal measures RSRP or RSSI, and selects a profile corresponding to anetwork of which the state is best, based on the measured RSRP or RSSI.Criterion 2, a terminal selects a particular profile previously setaccording to MNO's policy. A terminal selects a particular profile thathas previously been set to be selected when a profile changing eventoccurs according to MNO's policy. Criterion 3, a terminal selects aprofile based on the terminal location. For example, a terminal selectsa profile based on the terminal's PLMN ID. The terminal selects aprofile corresponding to a mobile communication network to which thecurrent location of the terminal, such as the location corresponding tothe PLMN ID of the terminal, is related. Criterion 4, a terminal selectsa profile based on time points that profiles are stored. For example, aterminal selects a profile that has been initially or most recentlystored in eUICC or UICC. In an embodiment, when a preset period of timehas elapsed from a time point that a profile is stored, the terminal maynot select a corresponding profile.

In an embodiment, when the terminal selects UICC as a SIM, only oneprofile is stored in the UICC. Therefore, the process of selecting aprofile, described above, is omitted.

In an embodiment, when the terminal selects eUICC as a SIM, informationabout profiles stored in UICC may not be displayed on UI displayed inmanual mode. Similarly, when the terminal selects UICC as a SIM,information about profiles stored in eUICC may not be displayed on UIdisplayed in manual mode. In that case, UI displayed on the display ofthe terminal is non-aggregated profile UI. Referring back to FIG. 4,when a profile is selected, the selected profile is applied to theterminal (415).

As shown in FIG. 11, the terminal directly controls eUICC or UICC andapplies the profile. The controller requests eUICC or UICC to apply theselected profile to the eUICC or UICC, and receives the response withthe application result from the eUICC or UICC.

As shown in FIG. 12, the terminal applies the profile through theserver. The controller transmits, to a server (such as a selectionserver), a message for requesting for applying a profile containinginformation about the selected profile. The server applies the selectedprofile to eUICC through a profile managing server and transmits theresponse with the application result to the controller.

Referring back to FIG. 4, optionally, the terminal performs a re-bootprocedure and re-connects to the network (417).

As described above, according to embodiments of the present invention,terminals equipped with both eUICC and UICC efficiently selects profilesstored in the eUICC and UICC in order to connect to a network.

Although embodiments of the invention have been described in detailabove, it should be understood that many variations and modifications ofthe basic inventive concept herein described, which may be apparent tothose skilled in the art, will still fall within the spirit and scope ofthe embodiments of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Although the present disclosure has been described with an exemplaryembodiment, various changes and modifications may be suggested to oneskilled in the art. It is intended that the present disclosure encompasssuch changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of operating a terminal including aplurality of subscriber identity module (SIMs), comprising: identifyingwhether a profile changing event is detected, the profile changing eventcomprising at least one of a reception of a profile changing commandfrom a network and an elapse of a preset period of time; if the profilechanging event is detected, selecting one of the plurality of SIMsincluded in the terminal according to a preset rule; requesting aprofile list to the selected SIM; obtaining the profile list includinginformation associated with one or more profiles stored in the selectedSIM from the selected SIM; selecting one of the one or more profilesstored in the selected SIM, each profile comprising a subscriberidentifier and a security key; and applying the selected profile to theterminal.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of SIMscomprises: embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) anduniversal integrated circuit card (UICC).
 3. The method of claim 1,further comprising: setting a mode to detect the profile changing event,wherein the mode comprises: a manual mode to detect the profile changingevent according to a user input; and an automatic mode to detect theprofile changing event if a preset condition is satisfied.
 4. The methodof claim 1, wherein the profile changing event further comprises atleast one of: a user input, a change in mobile network operator (MNO), achange in public land mobile network identity (PLMN ID), a change innetwork state, or a change in MNO's policy.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein selecting one of the plurality of SIMs comprises: selecting oneof the plurality of SIMs based on one of the following: a user input,one or more orders of priority of the one or more profiles, a conditionas to whether a preset period of time has elapsed, a location of theterminal, a condition as to whether to connect the network by using oneof the one or more profiles stored in the selected SIM, and a conditionas to whether a provisioning profile is obtained.
 6. The method of claim1, wherein the information associated with the one or more profilescomprises at least one of the following: an ID of a profile, informationassociated with MNO contained in a profile, and MSISDN contained in aprofile.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the profile listscomprises: transmitting, to a server, a message for requesting profileinformation associated with the selected SIM; and receiving the profilelist containing information associated with the one or more profiles, inresponse to the profile information request message.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, wherein selecting one of the one or more profiles comprises:displaying the profile list of the one or more profiles stored in theselected SIM; and selecting, if detecting a user's input applied to theprofile list, the profile corresponding to the user's input.
 9. Themethod of claim 8, wherein the profile list is configured to classify orintegrate the one or more profiles stored in the plurality of SIMs. 10.The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of the one or more profilescomprises: selecting one of the one or more profiles based on at leastone of the following: a network state, a MNO's polity, a location of theterminal, and time points that the one or more profiles are stored. 11.The method of claim 1, wherein applying the selected profile to theterminal comprises: transferring a profile applying request to a SIM inwhich the selected profile is stored; and receiving a response with aprofile application result from the SIM in which the selected profile isstored.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the selected profileto the terminal comprises: transmitting, to a server, a profile applyingrequest for a SIM in which the selected profile is stored; and receivinga response with a profile application result from the server.
 13. Anapparatus of a terminal, the apparatus comprising: a profile storingunit including a plurality of subscriber identity module (SIMs); and acontroller configured to: identify whether a profile changing event isdetected, the profile changing event comprising at least one of areception of a profile changing command from a network and an elapse ofa preset period of time; if the profile changing event is detected,select one of the plurality of SIMs included in the terminal accordingto a preset rule, request a profile list to the selected SIM, obtainingthe profile list including information associated with one or moreprofiles stored in the selected SIM from the selected SIM, select one ofthe one or more profiles stored in the selected SIM, each profilecomprising a subscriber identifier and a security key, and apply theselected profile to the terminal.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13, whereinthe plurality of SIMs comprises: embedded universal integrated circuitcard (eUICC) and universal integrated circuit card (UICC).
 15. Theapparatus of claim 13, wherein: the controller is configured to set amode for detecting the profile changing event; and wherein the modecomprises a manual mode for detecting the profile changing eventaccording to a user input and an automatic mode for detecting theprofile changing event if a preset condition is satisfied.
 16. Theapparatus of claim 13, wherein the profile changing event furthercomprises at least one of: a user input, a change in mobile networkoperator (MNO), a change in public land mobile network identity (PLMNID), a change in network state, and a change in MNO's policy.
 17. Theapparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to selectone of the plurality of SIMs based on one of the following: a userinput, orders of priority of the one or more profiles, a condition as towhether a preset period of time has elapsed, a location of the terminal,a condition as to whether to connect the network by using one of the oneor more profiles stored in the selected SIM, and a condition as towhether a provisioning profile is obtained.
 18. The apparatus of claim13, wherein the information associated with the one or more profilescomprises at least one of the following: an ID of a profile, informationassociated with MNO contained in a profile, and MSISDN contained in aprofile.
 19. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising: acommunication unit configured to communicate data, wherein thecontroller is configured to control the communication unit to transmit,to a server, a message for requesting profile information associatedwith the selected SIM, and receive the profile list containinginformation associated with the one or more profiles, in response to theprofile information request message.
 20. The apparatus of claim 13,further comprising: a display configured to display information, whereinthe controller is configured to control the display to display theprofile list of the one or more profiles stored in the selected SIM, andselect, if detecting a user's input applied to the profile list, theprofile corresponding to the user's input.
 21. The apparatus of claim20, wherein the profile list is configured to classify or integrate theone or more profiles stored in the selected SIM.
 22. The apparatus ofclaim 13, wherein the controller is configured to select one of the oneor more profiles based on at least one of the following: a networkstate, a MNO's polity, a location of the terminal, and time points thatthe one or more profiles are stored.
 23. The apparatus of claim 13,wherein the controller is configured to transfer a profile applyingrequest to a SIM in which the selected profile is stored and receive aresponse with a profile application result from the SIM in which theselected profile is stored.
 24. The apparatus of claim 13, furthercomprising: a communication unit configured to communicate data, whereinthe controller is configured to control the communication unit totransmit, to a server, a profile applying request for a SIM in which theselected profile is stored and receive a response with a profileapplication result from the server.